Hypertension in the Elderly

Although elderly hypertensive patients are the subjects of the largest body of outcomes trial data, as a group they are not getting the maximum benefit from antihypertensive medications. In Hypertension in the Elderly, a panel of leading academic physicians comprehensively reviews all aspects of this problem using the most current clinical data. Topics range from basic concepts, epidemiology and trials, and evaluation and management, to pharmacological treatment, special populations, and adherence, all presented with an emphasis on the optimal management of patients. The authors examine in detail the mechanisms of hypertension in the elderly, particularly age-related changes in vascular stiffness, and methodically review the lifestyle and outcomes trials that were conducted in older persons. The problems of clinical evaluation, secondary hypertension, and target organ damage are also fully addressed, and a practical approach is provided for correctly determining blood pressure, one of the most important tasks in evaluating an older patient. Extensive discussions of pharmacological therapy detail the role of individual drug classes, including diuretics and b-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, calcium antagonists, a-1 blockers, and combination drug therapies. Additional chapters focus on special populations, such as African Americans, patients with diabetes, and patients with arthritis, as well as on the clinician's role in improving therapeutic adherence in older patients.
Comprehensive and authoritative, Hypertension in the Elderly offers family practitioners and general internists an up-to-date, user-friendly reference on the diagnosis, treatment, and complications of hypertension in the elderly.